


Losers and Ice Cream Sundaes

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 11:20:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2426852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Whatever this was going to be, something or nothing, he wanted it to be his for just a little while.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Losers and Ice Cream Sundaes

**Author's Note:**

> Thank the fic gods for[](http://hopskotch-hotch.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://hopskotch-hotch.livejournal.com/) **hopskotch_hotch** , who gave me a nudge in the right direction and got me off the angst train for a little while. I owe her a cookie for my sanity.

“Emily, hey earth to Emily Prentiss.” Derek waved his hand in front of Emily’s face as she stood at the counter with her coffee cup.

 

“Hmm?” she came back to reality.

 

“Whoa, you were gone for a minute.What’s on your mind?”

 

“Nothing.”

  
”Don’t hand me that. Sometimes it’s better to open up.”

 

“I just feel…I got a letter in the mail for my high school reunion.”

 

“How many years?” Derek asked.  
  


“I'm not answering that.”

 

“Are you going?”

 

“Are you kidding?”

 

“Didn’t you go to school here?I would think you would look forward to it?”

 

“I'm 38 years old, unmarried, no kids…I don’t even have a cat.Why the hell would I be looking forward to it?”

 

“They don’t need to know any of that.”

 

“Oh God, I am not pulling a Romy and Michelle.”

 

Derek smirked thinking about the ridiculous but funny movie.Garcia subjected him to it once…the things he did for his baby girl.

 

“You don’t have to lie.You have a great job, you look fabulous, and I am sure all the people who made your life hell wouldn’t be able to take you down even a notch these days.”

 

“I wouldn’t set foot in there without a date.” Emily replied.

 

“So get one.How hard could it be?”

 

“Do you really want to know?”

 

“Good morning.” Hotch walked into the kitchen area with his coffee mug.

 

“Hi Hotch.” They said in unison.

 

“Take Hotch.” Derek said.

 

“Are you crazy?”

 

“Take Hotch where?” the Unit Chief asked.

 

“Derek!”

 

“Emily doesn’t want to go on her high school reunion because she doesn’t have a boyfriend or a cat.”

 

“I am never telling you anything again.” she murmured, not looking at Hotch.

 

“I was just telling her to take you.You look good in a suit, the kind of guy a girl would take home to mom and all.I mean, you can't dance but it was the 80s…no one could dance.”

 

“I can dance.” Hotch replied defensively.

 

Both Emily and Derek laughed.Hotch rolled his eyes, going into the refrigerator for creamer.Derek nudged Emily, she attempted to punch him, and he rushed out of the kitchen.Hotch put the creamer on the counter.

 

“When is the reunion, Prentiss?” 

 

“Saturday…I'm not going.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Do you remember high school?”

 

“Yeah.” Hotch nodded.

 

“And you're asking me why?”

 

“You should go.It’s a chance to dress up, run into people you were on the debate team or the newspaper with.You'll see if your prom date got fat or went bald, what ever happened to that science teacher you had a crush on, and what is the ‘it’ girl’s station in life.”

 

“How did you know I had a crush on my science teacher?” Emily asked.

 

“Wild guess.” He smiled.“So um…”

 

“I know this sounds insane but…”

 

“I’ll go with you.”

 

“I'm sorry?”

 

“You weren’t going to ask me to go with you, were you?”

 

“Don’t let Morgan box you into a corner.” She gave a self-deprecating laugh.

 

Hotch nodded.He walked away with his coffee Emily stopped him.For a while they were both silent; she knew she had to say something before someone else came into the kitchen and the moment was over.

 

“It’s the day after tomorrow.” She said.“That’s really short notice.”

 

“I can do short notice.”

 

“OK.It’s at the Hotel George at eight.We can meet there.”

 

“OK.”

 

“Why are you doing this?”

 

Hotch certainly couldn’t say it was a lot easier than asking her out on a date.Haley was the last woman he asked out on a date.He was not supposed to be thinking about Emily Prentiss the way he thought about her.

 

“Because friends are there for each other.” He replied.“Plus I know you are dying to see that science teacher.I don’t want you to miss it.”

 

She grinned, moving past him and back out into the bullpen.Derek pointed and winked at Hotch as he walked back but he did his best to ignore it.A team member could not sneeze without another hearing about it and telling the rest.Whatever this was going to be, something or nothing, he wanted it to be his for just a little while.

 

***

 

Aaron Hotchner was notoriously early for everything.He had spent his morning and afternoon with Jack, dropping him back at his sister-in-law’s at six o’clock.He went home, showered, and then tried on three different outfits.Three outfits, that was unheard of.He didn’t want to be too dressy, make it look as if he were going to a wedding.Too casual would have made it seem as if he didn’t care.Hotch settled on black slacks and a cornflower blue dress shirt with a black sports jacket.At quarter to eight, he sat in the lobby and waited.

 

In the pit of his stomach, he felt as if she would not come.Throngs of people were already coming in…Garfield High Class of 1989 were definitely ready to party.He could hear music from the ballroom down the hall but couldn’t make out the song.He remembered liking Men at Work in high school.He liked Hall and Oates, Dire Straits, and The Police.He wondered what kind of music Emily liked.He knew she listened to Amy Grant, The Doobie Brothers, and The Cure.Those three artists had nothing in common.

 

“How long have you been here?” 

 

Hotch stood when he heard her voice, only able to smile when he saw her.Emily wore a red cocktail dress with spaghetti straps.It brushed past her knees and her red slide pumps were perfect for it.She left her hair down but a pair of diamond earrings dangled from her lobes.She smelled amazing, fresh and powdery.

 

“Not long.You look amazing.”

 

“It’s not too much?”

 

“No.” Hotch shook his head.“Are you ready?”

 

“I don’t want to do this.”

 

“I had a feeling I would be stood up.What's the matter?”

 

“I was a loser in high school.” Emily threw up her hands, almost in surrender.“Who the hell wants to relive that?I was a Goth, a geek, who hid under black turtlenecks and oversized messenger bags.Remember Ally Sheedy in _The Breakfast Club_?Yeah, that sums it up pretty well.I don’t need former classmates to see me now just to feel justified in my life choices.”

 

“We don’t have to go in there if you don’t want to.The cool thing about being out of high school is you get to make your own decisions.”

 

“You dressed up for nothing.You look really handsome by the way.” She said smiling.

 

“Thank you.I have an idea.”

 

“I'm listening.”

 

“One hour.We go in, cruise the perimeter, find the science teacher, and run.How does that sound?”

 

“Like I'm being tricked.Oh hell, I have never backed down from anything.I am not going to let high school scare me anymore.It’s not as if I have to go back there on Monday.”

 

“That’s the spirit.” Hotch reached for her hand.“And if it makes you feel any better, I'm sure the bar is well stocked.You lead the way.”

 

***

 

Emily ran into Krista Fletcher from the school newspaper and Liz Tunney from Student Council.Aaron found out she had been student council Vice-President her senior year.She introduced him to James Richards from Young Voters for Dukakis and Kim Landis, her smoking buddy behind the gym, where they discussed everything from manifest destiny to Morrissey.He went from being her friend Aaron to her boyfriend Aaron in a matter of four or five introductions but none of that was their fault.Soon other people were introducing them as Emily and Aaron.When the hour mark hit old friends and acquaintances were inquiring about wedding plans.

 

“I am so sorry.” Emily said.They were alone at the bar, she ordered a Midori sour and he a beer.

 

“For what?”

 

“I think we've had the shortest engagement in the history of mankind.”

 

“I couldn’t think of a lovelier girl.” Hotch replied.“I think the past hour shows you were definitely not a loser in high school.This party didn’t start happening until you showed up.”

 

“I wouldn’t go that far.” Emily laughed.“I guess I forgot.Why do we do that?Why do we let the bad memories outweigh the good ones?”

 

“I don’t know.Do you want to stay a little longer?”

 

“Do you mind terribly?It’s an open bar for the next hour.”

 

“Now who’s being tricked?” Hotch asked.

 

“I'm not…” Emily gasped when she heard the music.She grabbed Hotch’s hand and pulled him toward the dance floor.“Dance with me.”

 

“The drinks?”

 

“Hold our drinks.” She told the bartender before she whisked him off.

 

“I lied, Emily.” Hotch said, sliding his arms around her waist.

 

“About what?”

 

“I can't dance.” He whispered it.

 

“It doesn’t matter.Just follow my lead, OK?”

 

He nodded, pulling her close and feeling the music.He remembered this song, _Waiting for a Star to Fall_.It didn’t have much impact on him at the time but now he felt different.Hotch felt the music and he felt Emily…her arms around his neck, cheek brushing his own, hips relaxed against his arms, breasts on his chest.Why was it suddenly difficult to breathe?

 

_ I hear your name whispered on the wind _

_ It’s a sound that makes me cry _

_ I hear a song blow again and again through my mind _

_ And I don’t know why _

_ I wish I didn’t feel so strong about you _

_ But happiness and love revolve around you _

_ Trying to catch your heart is like trying to catch a star _

_ So many people love you baby _

_ That’s must be what you are _

 

“You're not doing too bad.” Emily said.

 

“It’s because I'm not moving.”

 

She laughed, looking at him.They were so close and she couldn’t back away if she tried.Emily stroked his cheek causing Hotch to sigh and hold her tighter.She closed her eyes, not opening them again until the song was over and replaced by _Born to Be My Baby_.Not exactly slow dance material.They came apart; Hotch told her he would go get the drinks, and Emily wandered back to their table.

 

“You have quite a catch, Emily Prentiss.” Liz said.“I always knew you would score.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Aaron…he is prime real estate.Handsome, smart, handsome.”

 

“You said that.” Emily replied, smiling.

 

“Where did you two meet again?”

 

“He's in the FBI too.We’ve known each other a couple of years.”

 

“I'm thinking I should have joined the Academy.”

 

“He is a good guy.” She looked at him walking toward them wearing a big smile. 

 

“Were you just talking about me?” he asked, sitting down.

 

“What do you think?” Liz asked.She and Emily both laughed.

 

***

 

“Can I take you somewhere?” Hotch asked as he hailed a cab outside the hotel.It was nearly midnight and the reunion was winding down.Emily was putting one more email address in her phone, wondering if real life would destroy her good intentions of keeping in touch.

 

“You haven’t grown tired of me?” she asked, a cheeky grin on her face when he looked at her.

 

“Three hours of dancing, reminiscing, and posing for photos…absolutely not.You’ll send me some of those, right.”

 

“Yeah.Where are you taking me?”

 

“It’s a surprise.”

 

“Ooh.OK.”

 

He opened the door for the waiting cab and she slid inside.Hotch went to the driver’s window to give him directions and then slid in beside her.

 

“That was very Secret Agent Man, Hotch.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

They were quiet for the cab ride but Emily slid her hand over his as it rested on his thigh.Hotch looked at her and smiled.He thought about saying something but the moment was just perfect as it was.When the cab pulled up in front of the diner, Hotch paid and they got out.A light drizzle was falling now but it was Friday night in Georgetown, it didn’t matter one bit.

 

“I love this place.” Emily looked up at the kitschy sign the diner had for as long as she could remember.

 

“I know; me too.They have the best sundaes in town…and the best pie.”

 

“I love pie,” her voice was dreamy as they walked in.“You cannot tempt a girl with pastry Hotch; all bets will be off.”

 

“I was thinking a four scoop ice cream sundae with any topping we desire.”

 

“Oh my God,” she grabbed his arm.“You had me at four scoop.”

 

Quickly getting a table, Hotch and Emily took their time going over the toppings list.There would have to be extra caramel.Hotch loved marshmallow fluff, Emily wanted extra whipped cream, and they compromised on three cherries.Their server Melinda walked away with their order.

 

“We better put these on,” Hotch held up his napkin.“This could get messy.”

 

“I owe you for this.”

 

“No, you don’t.I think I might owe you.I've been…let’s just say it’s been too long since I let go and had fun.I had fun tonight.”

 

“Well then let’s say we owe each other.”

 

“If you let me take you to a real dinner sometime we can call it even.” He replied.

 

“And I’ll teach you how to dance.” Emily said.

 

“Wear thick socks.”

 

“I will.” She laughed.It changed to a quiet smile when Hotch took her hand over the table.

 

Again, there were no words, just hand holding.Belinda Carlisle sang about heaven on earth and Emily Prentiss felt like pinching herself.This had to be a dream.

 

“As delicious as this looks, the sundae is not the highlight of the evening.” Hotch said as Melinda returned and placed it on the table.“Ladies first.” He lifted the ice cream on his spoon and told Emily to open up.She did and then licked her lips.

 

“It may not be the highlight but Oh my God…perfect.Everything was perfect.”

 

“Just wait, there might be more.”

 

Just two days ago, neither profiler could have predicted this moment.How much fun it would be comparing stories about high school hell and good times while occasionally singing songs on the PA system off key.To hold hands over a delectable ice cream sundae like longtime lovers instead of professionally distant coworkers.Letting some of the guard down that each erected to repress things they felt for a longer time than either would probably admit.

 

“By the way, I think we were both tricked.” Hotch said, scrapping the bottom of their ice cream bowl.

 

“Morgan?”

 

“Mmm hmm.”

 

“What are we going to do about it?” Emily asked.

 

“Thank him.”

 

***

                                                                                                                           


End file.
